good morning. texas tragedy. a train slams into a parade float carrying military veterans and their families. at least four people are dead, 17 others injured. the chaotic scene, the emergency calls. >> a trailer just got hit by a train. we need as many ems units as you can. >> and the final brave act of a purple heart recipient to save the life of his wife. on the brink, escalating violence between israel and palestinians in gaza this morning. the israeli army now massing on the border. 30,000 reserves on alert for a possible ground invasion. we're live in gaza. and coming to america.

the u.s., a beacon of freedom and hope for people all around the world. the dream of citizenship about to be fulfilled from these people. they come from different lands with different stories to tell, but they will all become americans live today, friday, november 16th, 2012. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. as we look at statue of liberty live, we are going to witness something really remarkable today on our plaza, and if there's a dry eye left when this ceremony is over i'll be amazed. 30 people who have worked so hard to become u.s. citizens, a wait that sometimes was measured in decades will become u.s.

citizens on our plaza. >> so many of us take it for granted. those people out on the plaza do not take it for granted. their family members are here to witness it as well. it's amazing. >> one minute families in midland texas are being taken to a banquet and the next utter cha chaos. >> witnesses say the float was almost across the track when it was hit by a double-decker freight train. investigators are still piecing together how this could have happen. but apparently the crossing gates and warning lights were working properly. let's get right to nbc's janet shamlian inland, texas. janet, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. no other way to describe it. it's an eerie scene out here this morning at the site of this horrifying accident. as you can see behind me, the freight train is still on the tracks at the point of impact. just ahead of it that flatbed trailer with the chairs still bolted on it where the veterans were sitting, and the signs with their names on them, some of those still intact. what we know at this point, 4

people are dead, 17 injured and one critically and the question everyone is asking this morning. how could this possibly have happened. >> on thursday, november 15th. >> reporter: it was supposed to be a night of joyous celebration in midland, texas, thursday, a parade honoring wounded veterans followed by a banquet in their honor, but in an instant it all turned into a horrible deadly nightmare. >> we need the ambulances on the south side of the railroad tracks. send as many as we can. >> reporter: a flatbed trailer carrying 12 of the veterans and their spouses was crossing railroad tracks when a double-decker union pacific freight train slammed into it. >> this may be one of the most tragic events we've had in our town. >> reporter: michael rodriguez, himself an iraq war vet, heard the crash and ran to help. >> there was lots of people out walking around. we're trying to see if maybe there's any help or anything we could do to help any of them. >> reporter: midland county sheriff told reporter the trailer was almost across the

tracks when it was hit. some on the flatbed tried to jump and others tried to protect their wives and girlfriends. he called it pandemonium. one of them 34-year-old jjt joshua michael, a recipient of two purple hearts. his mother-in-law says michael pushed his wife off the trailer just before the train hit. his wife survived. joshua michael was killed. union pacific spokesman tom lange at a statement said the railroad crossing has lights and a crossing gate. he said the railroad's preliminary investigation indicates the lights and gates were operating at the time of the crash. video taken after the accident show the lights still flashing and the crossing gate down. the parade and banquet were sponsored by show of support. their website said each ways they try to think of ways to thank men and women for their military service. this year it was called a hunt for heros. on the group's facebook page an

outpouring of sympathy. >> it's really sad because the families have already seen them go off to war, seen stuff that obviously some of them, they were all wounded so they have already had to go through something horrific. >> these guys are true american heros and with the parade at 4:00, pass by waving, celebrating, midlanders lining the street with flags and waving and so proud of these guys. we're all terribly sad. >> reporter: secretary of defense leon panetta has issued a statement saying he's deeply saddened by this tragic accident and that his thoughts are with the victims, the families and this community which i have to tell you is in a state of shock still at this time. the ntsb does have a team on the way. they will be on scene later this morning for a complete investigation. savannah, back to you. >> janet shamlian, thank you. cory rogers is a close

friend of staff sergeant joshua michael and his family. he's on the phone with us this morning from lubbock, texas. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. >> of course, our condolences go out to you and your family. i know you've spoken with daylin. i understand her husband pushed her off the float and saved her life. >> yes, he did. i think it was pandemonium more than anything else. you know, i can't even imagine a train coming at you, what reaction you would have, and obviously joshua had the reaction of a real man. >> i know josh had obviously his wife and two little kids. how is the family holding up this morning? >> i think everybody is still in shock, just trying to take the news in. his wife flew back home last night and got to be with the kids. you know, that's not easy news to share with anybody, let alone kids who, you know, have seen

their dad go to war and come back and just now coming back really in their lives >> you mentioned his service overseas, the heroics you described last night. it shouldn't surprise anyone who knows him. twice decorated. purple heart recipient. served our country twice in iraq. what else would you want people to know about your friend? >> he was just a great family guy and an avid hunter. was a musician, loved to play drums and i go tar, and i got to hear him play several times and just an all-around american hero in my opinion. >> well, he sounds like an extraordinary man and certainly acted with such bravery last night. cory rogers, our condolences to the family and thank you for sharing your story this morning. >> thank you, savannah, and i'll let them know. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> and now here's matt. >> david hersman heads up the national transportation safety board. chairman, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt.

>> in a statement from union pacific they say according to their preliminary reports the crossing lights were working. the crossing gate was working. how could this happen? >> you know, there's always a lot of conflicting information in the beginning of an investigation so when we get on scene we've got to corroborate all of the data with the witness interviews. we'll be looking at the signals and downloading information from the wayside signals and making sure that the gates and lights were coming down. if that was the case, but also there was a forward-facing camera on the train. that will give us some video images if it survived the crash, and we can download it as well as recorders on the train. all of this is important to our investigators to establish the facts. >> i know back in 2003 the law was changed allowing trains to go through midland, texas, increasing the speed from 40 to 60 miles an hour. i think that was to prevent long waits for people at crossings. do you have any indication at this early stage how fast this train was traveling? >> you know, we just got notified about this accident about 12 hours ago.

our team is en route. we have investigators from texas who are there now meeting with the midland officials. but grade cross accidents are something that concern us. over 250 fatalities at grade crossings and 16 last year in texas. we want to make sure that we can identify what happened and why it happened so we can prevent things like this from happening in the future >> i know you've got a big job ahead of you. it is a tragic story. ntsb chairman debby hersman. chairman, thank you for your time. >> thanks, matt. >> now to the middle east where militants in gaza are on the brink of war. this morning there are signs that israelis are preparing for a potential ground invasion. a report from gaza this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. palestinian eyewitnesses in the middle of the gaza strip say the israeli navy can be seen off the coast. thousands of israeli soldiers

have amassed along the border, and the purpose of this operation, according to the israelis, is to stop the palestinian rocket fire. from where we've been standing we've been able to hear and see palestinian rockets fired into israel, an indication the fighting has not stopped. for the second night israel hit the gaza strip claiming to hit 100 ammunition and rocket warehouses. overnight palestinians fired dozens of rockets into israel. very few people here getting very little rest. fighting escalated with the first gaza attack reaching tel aviv and there are also signs a ground invasion could be imminent. >> israel is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. >> reporter: israel claims to have hit more than 450 sites in gaza since the operation began wednesday. its stated aim, to stop rocket

fire from gaza, but that hasn't happened. three israelis were killed by a rocket attack on thursday. this morning, there was an attempted at a brief cease-fire as the egyptian prime minister arrived in gaza with the hopes of brokering a truce and sending a message to palestinians. egypt is standing by the people of gaza and their pain, he said. people took vac of the relative lull in violence to stock up on whatever they could. since israel began its attacks getting food has become more difficult this man explained. hamas has not fired into southern israel and israel fired into gaza with the death toll so far is 19, including 5 children. the latest violence exploded with israel assassinated hamas' military chief on wednesday n.gaza, gunfire, anger and defiance and a creaseless barrage of rockets and missiles, the israeli air force carrying out what it called precision strikes, but in crowded gaza it's the civilians who bear the

brunt. this child, the son of a local bbc technician, was 11 months old when he was killed by an israeli air strike. savannah, you know, we've been speaking to palestinians here, and the sense they have is fear and anxiety. they are extremely afraid of what could be coming next on the horizon. the focus though is what is it going to take to break this impact now between the palestinian factions and the israeli government? so far there's no indication that there's a truce in place. within the last hour the israeli air force has carried out strikes, including one that killed a palestinian child. savannah, back to you. >> thank you. now here's matt. >> savannah, thank you. ex-cia director david petraeus is on capitol hill this morning being grilled about the deadly consulate attack in libya as his former agency launches an investigation into his personal conduct and admitted affair. nbc's andrea mitchell is in watchington with more on this story. andrea, good morning. >> reporter: all eyes today are on former cia director david

petraeus who finds himself under investigation by the very agency he once headed as cia investigates whether petraeus used agency resources to further relationship with his biographer predwell, this as petraeus heads to capitol hill today testifying behind closes doors on the benghazi attacks before the house and senate intelligence committees. the nation's former top spy is facing pressure on two fronts. now under investigation by the agency he once headed, even as he prepares to testify before a congress on benghazi. petraeus' testimony is expected to focus on when the cia knew the attack on the consulate was an act of terrorism and not a spontaneous demonstration. on thursday top intelligence officials briefed senate intelligence committee meetings behind closed doors. members say they were shown a realtime video of the entire attack. >> the film is a composite from a number of sources. it is realtime. it does begin from when the

incident, before the incident started, and it goes through the incident, and the exodus. >> if i could -- >> reporter: meanwhile, petraeus is facing a startling reversal of fortune. after the cia announced its investigation of him, according to letters the agency sent both letters of house thursday. the cia says the focus of the inspector general's probe is whether petraeus used agency resources to further his relationship with broadwell. they were last seen together at a dinner honoring robert gates, the former cia director and defense secretary in washington, october 27th. officials say the cia has been told by the fbi that there's no indication that petraeus misused classified material, but investigation is open-ended. this as new details emerged thursday about frederick humphries ii, the tampa fbi agent who triggered the investigation that led to petraeus' resignation. humphries is a 16-year veteran who played a major royal in feeling ahmed raceiam's

millennial plot to blow up l.a.x. and he's currently an fbi liaison officer and humphries got to know jill kelley in tampa, say people close to kelley, and she turned to him when she and general john allen first received anonymous e-mails last spring that they found alarming. thursday, humphries helped explain that shirtless picture he had sent kelley telling the "seattle times" it was a joke. posing with target dummies after s.w.a.t. practice. it was humphries who apparently worried about a cover-up told republican congressman dave reichert, an old friend about the petraeus investigation. reichert alerted majority leader eric cantor, almost two weeks before the president was officially notified. >> the information that was sent to me sounded as if there was a potential for a national security vulnerability. >> reporter: attorney general eric holder was asked thursday why the president wasn't informed sooner. >> we follow the facts. we do not share outside the justice department, outside the

fbi the facts of ongoing investigations. >> reporter: meanwhile, defense secretary leon panetta has ordered an ethics review for training of military officers, although he says he has no evidence that more military officers could still get caught up in that petraeus scandal. matt? >> andrea mitchell in washington. andrea, thanks. david gregory will have more on the scandal and hearings on the benghazi attack when he joins you sunday on "meet the press." >> let's head to natalie morales over at the news desk for this morning's other top stories. good morning. >> good morning, savannah and matt. good morning, everyone. the president is tackling the looming fiscal club head on this morning. he and the vice president meet with advocacy and civil rights groups today to get their input on negotiating with congress on the irish you. january 1st deadly of expiring bush-era tax cuts and wide-ranging spending cuts has renewed fears of a second plunge into a recession. the record $4.5 billion settlement from oil giant bp is just the beginning.

u.s. attorney general eric holder says the investigation into the devastating 2010 gulf oil spill will move forward. bp also pleaded guilty to criminal charges connected to the rig blowout that killed 11 workers. holder says much of the settlement money will go to help restore the gulf. now images this morning showing the wrath of superstorm sandy. take a lack at this surveillance film from the new york port authority showing the water gushing into the p.a.t.h. station in hoboken, new jersey, as sea waters were above 13 feet. even now, cannot believe some of the things you have seen. back to you guys. >> thanks, natalie. al is here with a check of the weather. >> quiet on the east. big problems in the northwest. big storm system bringing in rain and heavy rain today into tonight as a combination cold front and low pressure system pushes in and brings that heavy rain. 1 to 2 inches of rain, and

there's going to be a lot of snow. that's what's >> we have some clout. the showers will go away. we expect temperatures to be in the 50's >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right, al. thanks. now a remarkable story in the wake of superstorm sandy. decades-old love letters that turned up in new jersey. nbc's mara schiavocampo is here with this story. good morning to you. >> good morning. this could be straight out of hollywood. after the storm a new jersey woman came across dozens of letters in the sand. glimpses into history, and one

couple's amazing love story. in atlantic heights, new jersey, amidst the destruction from hurricane sandy, a message in a bundle. washed upped during the storm, a neat pile of letters tied with a pink bow. the day after sandy struck, kathleen chaney was surveying damage near the beach when her 14-year-old son patrick spotted the stack. you knew what they were? >> i watched enough romance at movies. yeah, i just knew. >> reporter: the letters seemed to be in bad shape. >> they were pretty wet and really sandy. i had to kind of dust them off. >> reporter: but after drying by the fireplace, chaney was finally able to read them. 56 handwritten love letters addressed to a darling lynn, signed by your loving dot. the letters didn't just withstand sandy but time. they were written 70 years ago. post marked in the '40s.

some penned during world war ii. >> my love, i miss you more than words can say. my darling lynn, guess this is about the third letter i've written to you today. >> reporter: touched by the love story, chaney began looking for dottie and lynn online. this week 200 miles away in virginia shelly farnham hill bert got chaney's message about the letters on a geneology website and immediately knew it was the story of her aunt dottie and uncle lynn. >> they were always affectionate towards each other. she had a habit in the morning when she went around the bed to go around and wiggle his toes a little bit, okay, time to wake up. >> reporter: dottie was just 18 when she fell in love with lynn in 1941. they were apart for seven years while she was in nursing school in new jersey and he was in the army. they finally got married in 1948, had two children and were together 44 years until lynn died of cancer in 1992. >> that last morning he didn't

wake up. she wiggled his toes. >> reporter: now dottie remembers -- lives in a nursing home. rediscovering the long forgotten words of a young girl swept off her feet, now swept ashore. dottie's niece plans to read those letters to her in the nursing home. >> amazing story. >> beautiful. >> just ahead, lauren scruggs opens up about the accident that changed her life in an exclusive live interview, but first this is "today" on nbc. to

. just ahead, a rare sit dunne with one of the most talked-about athletes in the country, tim tebow. >> after the local news. ig spre. so it's gotta be big. how about the 55-inch lg tv. it's led and has incredible picture quality... that's big... but i got a little budget. with the walmart credit card special financing

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[ female announcer ] introducing new special k popcorn chips. with 28 buttery chips for 120 calories, you can bring the flavor of the movies home and still stay on track. freedom to enjoy. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. anne arundel county police arrest a 66-year-old man on allegations he abused several children to . two men say that john villers- farrow abused them. he is confirmed to be the

brother of hollywood actress mia farrow. >> tracking a few problems out there. phil adelphi road and brad trotter road, shut down t -- the philadelphia road in joppa road shot down. watch for delays at bank the water main break repairs. charles street towards 21st. 50 towards the bay bridge, debris should be cleared shortly. if you're going to have out on the west side, a 13-minute travel time there. quick live look at harford showing those delays. let's switch over to a live view of traffic on 95 just south of the beltway northeast. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> here we are right and the

circle there. sparkle and shower activity mostly on the eastern shore. had the airport right now, 38 degrees. winds are about calm, pressure is 30, 32. this cloudy activity was sprinkles and showers is pulling away from the area. temperatures 51, 56 degrees.

you are looking at about 30 men and women from all around the world who are about to become u.s. citizens live on our plaza. we're going to see firsthand what their love of this country can teach all of us. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer on a very special day on the plaza. >> looking forward to it coming through in just a while. >> all right. >> also a guy who has been called the next steve jobs, not sure if he likes that description. we'll talk to amazon founder and ceo jeff bezos and get his take on a lot of things, including the upcoming holiday season. >> and tim tebow opens up in a pretty rare interview.

why did he trademark tebowing. does he have a girlfriend? we'll ask the nosey question, and we'll get some answers coming up. but we want to begin this half hour with a tragic accident nearly one year ago that left lauren scruggs severely injured. we'll talk to lauren and her parents in a moment, but first natalie hasmore on the accident that changed lauren's life. >> reporter: lauren scruggs had a bright future and big plans. at 23 she had just started her own website lolo magazine devoted to beauty and fashion trends. but on a night last december her life was forever changed. visiting friends with her mom sheryl. >> we had gone to church lauren and i and went to some friends for dinner afterwards, like we always do. they live on an airport, so we ate dinner, and they decided they were going to do some, you know, recreational flying, go look at christmas lights and

everything. >> reporter: lauren was the first to fly, but as she was climbing out of single-engine two-seater plane, she made a wrong turn that nearly cost her her life. accidentally walking to the front of the plane and directly into the still spinning propellor. >> a girl walked into an airplane prop, i need an ambulance immediately. >> where are you? >> reporter: lauren suffered a brain injury, lost her left hand and tore her eye. paramedics at the scene feared she would not survive her injury but lauren not only survive, nearly a year later she's embraced a life she calls more rewarding. and lauren scruggs is with us exclusively, along with her parents sheryl and jeff. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> can i say how good it is to see is you, lauren. >> thank you, savannah. >> remarkable it's only a year

and you're doing real well. >> doing really well. still doing rehabbing every day and they are actually working me out really hard and i love it, and off all pain medication, and i don't have pain and spiritually have grown a lot deeper in my faith. so, yeah. >> it has been a remarkable journey, and this is really the first time you all are speaking out about that night, and i know you know a lot of people just wonder how this could have happened. what do you remember about that night? >> i remember getting into the plane and i was kind of fearful, i didn't know why, and then i just felt like something was going to happen, and we landed, and i thought that was interesting because i was thinking we might crash, and then i just remember my feet touching the ground, and that's all i remember. >> have you from talking to people, kind of piecing it together, do you have any better insight into why you might have walked in the wrong direction that night?

>> my dad actually went to look at the plane, and i was taught to get out in front of the wing and when you do that you're basically at the propellor so i think i basically just got out on to it. >> sheryl, you were very close by. you were called to the scene and you come upon and see your daughter lying there. it must have been a horrific thing to witness. yeah. it was pretty horrific. yeah, it's still tough today. just -- the lady came running in the house and just said that, you know, lauren was hit by a propeller, and i was just kind of stunned, i didn't really know how to react at that moment because i actually never heard of anyone doing that, so as i gathered my thoughts and just my body, i ran outside and ran to the tarmac, and she was out there laying on her stomach in a

pool of blood, and i wasn't really sure if she was alive or dead at that moment. >> at the hospital, jeff, they gave you some bad news. i mean, they painted a scenario in which lauren may survive but not ever be the same again. >> they warned us that there was a potential that she wouldn't have the same personality and that she may never form a sentence again, but as we can see today that's not the case. >> i want to talk to you about that, lauren, one thing in this book there's a lot of hope and a lot of faith and also a lot of honesty, that this has not been easy for you. >> yeah. >> what's been the hardest about this journey? >> i think the hardest thing is just losing my hand, i think that's it. because it just changes your life and you have to learn things in new ways, but it's also, you know, a good thing and a positive thing because you appreciate life a lot more, and i feel like my joy in life has

intensified and even my compassion for people has just strengthened and i have compassion that i couldn't have had before. >> you've written about the moment you really first saw yourself. your new self and how hard that was. >> yeah. >> it was really difficult. i think it was just a dose of reality, and i was kind of getting off my pain medication so just trying to understand what happened. it was hard to see, for sure. >> when you look back at what happened, do you blame anybody? >> i don't. i really don't. it's just an accident that happened, and there's no one to blame. >> and are you able to do most of what you want to do now? >> yeah, i am. it's amazing how your body just kind of -- i don't know, does what it needs to do and things that were really difficult at the beginning are just -- i don't really think about it anymore, and they are easy to do, so i'm thankful for that. >> well, we're so happy to see

you, and i think the back's title is just perfect ask the fill lolo." you are still yourself and great to have you here. >> thanks. >> you can see more of lauren's store we natalie tonight on "dateline," 10:00, 9:00 central time and lauren will be back tomorrow on "today" and we look forward to continuing the conversation. thanks to all of you. >> now a check of the weather with al. >> what a great story. thanks so much, savannah. a look at your weekend starting off in the northeast where it's sunny and cool on saturday. look for rain and windy conditions along the mid-atlantic coast. out west going to be the big story. heavy rain from coastal california all the way into the pacific northwest with mountain snows. sunday, sunday, sunday, beautiful day in the northeast but still a little on the chilly side. more rain and windy conditions along the carolina coastline, both north and south carolina. we expect more heavy rain in the pacific northwest and more mountains snows out there. nice and sunny us a make your way into the gulf coast into

>> a few clouds this morning. clearing skies to the southwest. declaring his friend be a trend. mitty a few sprinkles on >> that's your latest weather, and one of the best parts of being an american, you get to watch sunday night "football night in america." that's right. it's a bitter rivalry. the ravens fly into heinz stadium. will they catch up to the steelers? they relish the fight. clear and cool. 43-47. without ben roethlisberger can they prevail? will they cut the mustard? we'll find out on sunday night "football night in america." savannah. >> you couldn't even get through

that one. we now have the echo, too. it's addictive. see why you're into it, al. thank you. still ahead, oscar winner helen mirren steps by, but next up, a guy that's about to be very busy, the ceo of amazon.com. we'll talk to him right after this. [ man ] hello!!!! hello!!!! [ all ] ohh! that is crazy! are you kidding me? let me see! oh! what! that's insane! noooo! mr. woodson? oh hello! hello! [ whistles ] hello!

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ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle! let's read the book to him. jingle, stay. and jingle did. ruff! ruff! [ female announcer ] hallmark interactive story buddies. when you read key words, jingle responds. pack new at 7:42. jeff bezos has always thought big. in 1959 he took his love of books and created a little website called amazon.com. 17 years later he's transformed the way we all shop a the way we read with the kindle fire, and the future looks pretty bright for the innovative ceo. this month "fortune" magazine named him their 2012 business person of the year. good morning, how are you? >> doing great. >> a couple days ago you were

disappointed when "people" magazine failed to name you the sexiest man alive, so did this take some of the sting out of it? >> i'm still recovering. >> yeah? >> this is very complimentary in the world of business. one of the venture capitalists interviewed in this article said if you asked who the ceo they admired the most is, he would show you up, on 95% of the ballots. go ahead, can you say something. i know you're modest but that's a big deal. >> the fact is amazon has a pioneering culture so it's a big team of people who are experimenters and innovators, and we're willing to fail, willing to try things. >> and actually lose money in the short term for profits in the long term. >> absolutely. one of our character tis is we're willing to be patient, and i think patience is required if you're going to invent. >> you've got a lot of wisdom. people always try to pick your brain. i've done it in the past. we've got black friday coming up a week from today.

who are your thoughts on this season and on this day? >> i'm very optimistic about this holiday selling season. at amazon we're getting ready to hire 50,000 seasonal people to help us with the peak selling season. i hope it's going to be a record season for us. >> you've got a target on you. a lot of other big box companies, walmart and target, they will offer same-day shipping and that's something you can't offer to all your customers. how big a hit will you take on it in. >> we've always been in a hypercompetitive business, e-commerce, even from the very beginning, has been hypercompetitive. that's good thing and good for the customers, even good for the customers that embrace that dynamic. >> forcing you to innovate as well. >> always. that's what happens when companies and businesses force each other to innovate and we have to evolve, and we are. we're providing better customer experience today than we ever had. people get their goods faster. lower prices than ever.

we're ready. >> one of the areas where the world has become so competitive and all our little devices like the one right here. you've got the kindle fire hd and the kindle paper weight. apple just came out with their new ipad mini. are you willing to say that you can compete fully on that, even in the area of coolness which apple seems to have had a monopoly on for so long? >> you know, i have a lot of admiration for apple. a huge company, super successful, but we take a different approach, so if you look at our kindle fire hd, high definition display, packs a lot of technology into a very low price point, $199 because we don't make any profit when we sell the device. we sell the device near break even and we hope to make money over time as people use the device. they buy e-books and mp3s and buy gains. that's a different approach. it's working for us. kindle fire hd is our number one best-seller globally. >> let me put you on the spot a little bit. 1999 you were named "time"

magazine's person of the year. i was on a panel other day when they are trying to figure out 2012's person of the year. who should it be? >> my goodness. way too hard of a question. >> give it a shot. >> matt lauer. >> it could be barack obama, i mean, a lot of candidates. who do you think it should be? >> you have put me on the spot. i don't know. >> no clue. >> well, think about it and get back to it. >> in an election year obama would be a pretty good choice. >> "fortune" magazine's business person of the year for 2012. that's a big deal, jeff. congratulations. >> thank you, matt. >> appreciate it. good to have you here. coming up next, tim tebow opens up in a rare interview about criticism, about faith and his love life right after this. into their work,

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commercial and gave us insight about his situation in new york and his dating situation. tim tebow's transition to the new york jets hasn't been all that he's imagined, and it got even rougher this week with unnamed teammates ripping tebow in the papers saying he's terrible and we don't look at him as a quarterback. tim's response, tebow-like. >> this is something i can't control, but i can control my attitude, my effort and my work ethic. >> reporter: it's the type of criticism tebow has faced since being traded to the jets as the backup to mark sanchez. >> the jets, they have been quiet about what's next for you and your role. what do you hope your role is next for them? >> honestly, i'm just trying to do the best i can with everybody opportunity that i'm given, and when i'm given those opportunities make the most of them. >> i'm excited, let's do this. >> reporter: before this week's headlines tebow reflected on his move to new york from denver. >> still not too easy to walk around. >> reporter: what's that transition been like? >> it's been a whirl win, but it's been a lot of fun. a lot of ups and downs, but, you

know, getting used to new york/new jersey, and i'm trying to contribute to the jets and, you know, trying to win some football games. >> reporter: tebow has also taken steps to protect his on field exhibition of his faith, something known as tebowing. people have their opinions on why you trademarked tebowing, but what is the real for me? >> to me getting on a know and praying is a very special deal for me, a very special moment and for me it was honoring that, and not letting people, you know, try to go out there and make a mock riff it and do a lot of different things, and it's kind of keeping that safe. >> reporter: he also likes to keep safe the details of his dating life. every time i interview you i ask you if you're dating anybody. has the tim tebow dating train ended, or are you still looking? >> i have got asked that a lot over the last two weeks, and when i start to talk about it, jason, i will definitely let you know. >> reporter: you're giving me exclusives left and right. >> i know. >> reporter: i've asked him that question four different times.

usually it's a quick no, so maybe something is brewings, savannah. >> maybe. come on, jason. >> that was good. >> breaking news here. jason kennedy. >> keep trying, jason. keep drying. >> just ahead, dame helen mir ebb. >> 30 individuals become u.s. citizens on the plaza after your local news. hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals. could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old 401(k) into a fidelity ira and take control of your personal economy. this is going to be helpful. call or come in today. fidelity investments. turn here.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. year is sarah caldwell. >> one accident of know. the rest of them have been cleared. if you're heading out at philadelphia road, it is shut down between bradshaw road and joppa farm road. 95 is a better bet this hour. 95 is showing delays southbound towards the beltway. falls road, watch for intermittent closures between lafayette ave and the chrome hill road due to debris removal

until sunday afternoon. here is what it looks like a car ford road. if you can see the delay is much heavier on the northeast corner of the beltway. we will show you the west side outer loop. that stretches from 70 down to baltimore national bike third of the thing is looking good at 795. that is the latest on traffic puls 11 [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] >> once again west of the day, it is just cloudiness. -- once you get west of the bay , is just cloudiness. we expect to see decrease in clouds eventually. there are the clouds polling north. sunshine down in virginia. it will be long until we start to see some sunshine break through -- it won't be long until we start to see some sunshine break through.

today, 51 to 56 for the high, with the freezing clouds. north to northwest and set 5 to 10 miles per hour. no rain through

it's 8:00 now on a friday morning. it's also 16th day of november, 2012. take a look at our plaza. normally it's called rockefeller plaza. it could be called citizenship plaza. this morning we've got 30 people from 22 different country. some of them are professors, nurses and even some have served in our armed forces. all here for the same reason. this morning in a live ceremony, a first for morning tv, they will become american citizens. we'll find out what it means to them and also it will be a great reminder of what it should mean to us.

>> absolutely. >> i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. >> and also dame helen mirren has stopped by to tell us about her new movie. >> and we have queen noor here today. she's going to be joining forces with a very lofty goal. her majesty queen noor of jordan and former cia officer valle plame, both here to talk about something that's very near and dear to their hearts. >> a busy morning, no question about it. let's start this hour over at the news desk where natalie has a look at all the headlines. >> good morning, matt, savannah and al. good morning, everyone. the ntsb is on the scene of a deadly train crash at a here's parade in midland, texas. officials say at least four people were killed when a freight train rammed a parade float that was carrying wounded veterans and their spouses. 17 people were injured. union pacific sent a preliminary investigation shows that railroad safety lights and gates were operating at the time.

fighting intensified today as israel and palestinians in gaza traded fire for a third day. palestinian rockets rained down on israel, including several that landed in tel aviv. israeli forces showed signs that they were preparing to widen their response with troops massing along the border, and navy ships visible off the government. egypt's prime minister visited hamas leaders today and called for an end to the operation. hostess said they are seeking a bankruptcy's court permission to go out of business. the maker of twinkies, ding dongs and wonder bread does not have the resources to weather a nationwide strike by bun of its largest unions. drug charges against jon bon jovi's 19-year-old daughter have been dropped. paramedics found stephanie bon jovi unresponsive from an apparent heroin overdose at hamilton college in upstate, new york. state law offers certain legal protection for overdose victims.

now for a look at what's trending, a quick roundup of what has you talking online. guy fieri's food fight with a "new york times" critic has turned into a five-course feud online. now trending is his "today" show appearance to defend his times square restaurant and the icing on guy's cake, dr. phil's comments that "times" employees held an event at the same restaurant on the day the review was appeared. frito lays says the coffee toffee will be marketed exconclusively to adults. and vice president joe biden got a lot of love from amy poehler on "parks-and-recreation" and things got a little too close for comfort, when you check it out. >> i just want to say congratulations for your public service. >> i just want to say thank you.

>> well, you're very welcome, you're very welcome. >> thank you. >> you're -- you're very welcome. you're very handsome >> i think we're all done. >> while he may not have reciprocated the love on screen he posted his excitement on twitter with this behind-the-scenes shot. pretty cool. >> he's got acting chops. >> that is really uncomfortable. all right. thanks so much. our friends here from california wonder where these guys are from? who are those guys? a bunch of weird looking, freaky looking, wow. let's check your weather to see what's going on. we'll show you our picture today. philadelphia, pennsylvania, nbc 10 got a big marathon this weekend. mostly sunny and my "wake up with al" parter? stephanie abrams running in that this weekend. a lot of wet weather in the pacific northwest and central

california. over the next 24 hours, 1 to 2 inches of rain. snow showers as well in the pacific northwest. sunny skies with a beautiful high pressure system taking over the great lakes. it's going to be a little on the chilly side and look for some fog and hit or miss showers or thunderstorms dow >> we have some clout. the showers will go away. we expect temperatures to be in the 50's >> and our future u.s. citizens are all staying very chilly so they will be nice and fresh for their citizenship ceremony. savannah? >> all right, al, thanks. as natalie just mentioned

hostess cupcakes and twinkies and snowballs could be no more. the company is going out of business. the company's ceo is here. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> not happy news. why is it that the company could not reach a deal with its unions and stay in business? >> you know, it's been very difficult. we've reached deals with a number of our union, the largest union, the teamsters, and they actually supported the deal that we offered, and they have been crossing the picket lines and trying to support the business, but the bakers union i think, the leadership of that union made a decision that they are willing to sacrifice these jobs because they don't really want to have these kind of concessions from other companies. >> we're talking about the loss of 18,500 if the company goes out of business. i have a statement from the bakers union. despite greg rayburn's insulting and disingenuous statements of the last month the truth is hostess workers and the union have absolutely no responsibility for the failure of this company. that responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the company's decision-makers. >> i've been pretty straightforward in all the town

hall meetings i've done at our plants to say in this situation i think there's blame that goes around for everyone. >> is this really the end of the road for hostess or can i be blunt? is this some kind of negotiating tactic to get the unions back to the table? is this really it? >> it's over. >> no more twinkies. >> this is it. >> thank you sir, for being here. we appreciate it. >> thank you. and we'll go back to matt. >> savannah, thank you. the great dame helen mirren has one academy award and getting a lot of buzz for her portrayal of the wife of the legendary director alfred hitch kok. it's centered around the making of one of the most memorable movies of all time, "psycho." >> thinking of killing off the young lady and star halfway through. you are intrigued? >> i think it's a huge mistake.

you shouldn't wait until halfway through. kill her off after 30 minutes. >> dame hillen, nice to see you. welcome back. >> maybe the best slogan on a movie poster ever. behind every psycho is a great woman. does that just describe this? >> it does. i would say alma was shoulder to shoulder with alfred rather than behind him. i think she was his partner in work. she was his partner in life, obviously, and she, which i didn't know anything about alma, certainly in the shadows. the spotlight was on alfred, but she -- people who know say there were four hands on alfred's movies. two of them were alma's, so she was very proactive in the creation of all his great works >> you know, i'm sitting here, and i think we should remember that a large portion of our younger audience watching may not be all that familiar with who alfred hitchcock was. >> this is true. of course. >> describe his impact on the

movie industry. >> well, you know, the effect of alfred hitchcock and any filmmaker obviously will know who alfred hitchcock was because to this day they are very influenced by alfred hitch could, and many of the young, especially the young horror film-makers or the thriller film-makers will always cite alfred hitchcock as one of their inspirations because he was so ahead of his time in terms of creating suspense and drama. he was known as the master of suspense. >> you're wonderful in this role. sir anthony hopkins loses himself in the role of alfred hitchcock. do i have to play some kind of an extra fee when i have a dame and a sir in the leading roles in a film like that? >> i should think so. >> you going back to the stage? >> i am, i'm going back and doing "the queen" again which is, you know, not a challenge. well, it will be a challenge, maybe a mistake, but i'm looking

forward to it. i'm doing a play called "the audience." >> one of the things we've learned about you over the years it's never a mistake when you take on a great role. wonderful to see you. last time was in london. a joy to hang out there. >> an amazing experience. london was so great. great to see you guys in london. so great for me. i could disconnect, you new yorkers. >> there you were strutting your stuff. how often do you get to see dame helen mirren like that doing the speedwalk in olympic park. >> great to have you here. this movie is called "hitchcock" and it opens november 23rd. wonderful to see you. >> thank you, matt. >> up next, a woman from played a queen to a real one. we'll talk to her imaginity queen noor of jordan and a special moment when these 30 individuals become u.s. citizens right on our plaza, but first these messages. the boys use capital one venture miles

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officer valle plame are leading in an initiative called global zero. the goal to eliminate nuclear weapons around the world. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> you have your work cut out for you, don't you? >> we do. but we're joined by 300 other leaders of the movement and young people around the world, so it's not just the two of us. in fact, it's quite a large team. >> your majesty, you recently said something that we're really at a tipping point, almost the point of no return where there could be no chance to try to reduce nuclear weapons in the world to zero. why is that? >> well, proliferation since the period of the 1980s when president reagan launched a process. his vision was zero, and he launched a process that cut american arsenals by 50%, and russian as well. they worked on this together. since that period of time proliferation has reached out into other parts of the world, and said we have 19,000 weapons that are some not well secured, some in very volatile regions,

and we have the threat of proliferation extending even further into the middle east. >> and i want to pick up on that with valerie. this is something you worked on when you were at the cia. some people might look at this and think, well, wait a minute, as long as nuclear weapons are in the hands of responsible countries, why is zero the goal. it has to be the goal. i'm absolutely involved in my position, working in a covert capacity at cia, i was doing operations to try to make sure that either -- that bad guys, whether they are rogue states or terrorists do not acquire nuclear weapons, but i've evolved in where the point now nuclear technology is so widely available. the proliferation of weapons. far beyond where we were at the height of the cold war where it was just the united states and russia, and now i think we have to drain the swamp. there is no other way, a sane way ahead >> you worry about rogue states, of course. you worry about terrorists. you worry about accidents. have you a movie "countdown to

zero" which makes this argument in a really compelling way, and it telling the story of one russian man who actually tried to sell nuclear material to al qaeda. >> yes. >> the vignette of that was rather a low level worker in a uranium plant in the former soviet union, and he knew that by taking -- he could secrete very small amounts of highly enriched uranium, and he had a buyer that was a representative al qaeda, and the whole reason that he wanted to sell that was so that he could get a refrigerator. i mean, for him that was what -- that's all it was to him, a means to, you know, make his personal life a little better. >> queen noor, when you look at this and say you want the u.s. to lead the way and russia to lead the way in reducing nuclear arsenals. the counterargument is wait a minute all the bad actors in the world are racing towards more nuclear weapons. can we really afford to do that? >> it's the united states and russia who have 90% of the

world's arsenal of nuclear weapons do continue to make the deep cuts that started during reagan, that obama has built up, that president obama now in his next term could make with the russians, significant credible cuts in, then the rest of the nuclear states will join a process that will make it much more difficult for any other state to acquire weapons and for any state that has weapons not to join that process. we believe that is the only way, global zero believes that's the only way, to shift from our current course towards disaster to one which promises a more peaceful world. >> queen noor, great to have you here, valerie plame, you as well. the website is globalzero.com. appreciate it. thank you. coming up, you're about to meet the people who are about to

become u.s. citizens live on our plaza. into their work,

their name on the door, and their heart into their community. small business saturday is a day to show our support. a day to shop at stores owned by our friends and neighbors. and do our part for the businesses that do so much for us. on november 24th, let's get out and shop small. ♪ ♪

[ girl ] dear santa... ♪ dear santa, i want a ballerina tutu, a pink bike, a unicorn night-light... [ female announcer ] this year, bring their wish list to life. [ girl ] ...princess doll, markers... we're back with a very special morning here on "today."

what does it mean to become an american? well, how hard is it to leave everything you've known behind for a chance at a better life? for millions of people living in countries all around the world, this country is still a beacon of hope and opportunity, and we're very honored this morning that several people have decided to share their journey with us. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation -- >> every morning across this country schoolchildren pledge allegiance to this flag. words like liberty and justice for all may not yet resonate with these young faces, but for thousands of immigrants who become american citizens each year, the journey to find the true meaning of those words has taken courage and sacrifice. >> i'm from bulgaria. >> from iran. >> afghanistan. >> i'm from france. >> i was born in venezuela.

>> south africa. >> hait. >> india. >> i'm from philippines. >> i'm from guinea, west africa. >> senegal. >> just like from many of our ancestors the road here has been long and the americans to become those americans has been recorded in decades, not years. >> 10 years ago. >> 12 years ago. >> 4 years ago. >> 20 years next month. >> i've lived here basically my whole life. >> 24 years. >> but wait they do to find their own american dream, each one deeply personal. >> my american dream is to become a fire fighter. >> my daughter at the school. >> my american dream has to become an american. >> to create my own leg. >> i to be a successful woman. >> to pursue the happiness. >> today that's my american dream. >> right now it means that eventually i'm going to get to vote. >> my american dream is to buy a

house in maine. >> you don't have to become like a billionaire. it can be your own business. it can be your own dream. >> learning how democracy works. >> taking part in the rights i'm helping to defend. >> each story unique, but one word the same. >> the freedom. >> the freedom. >> the freedom. >> the freedom. >> the freedom. >> definitely the freedom. >> and like those before him poughkeepsie, new york, pizzeria owner agram left his war-torn country of kosovo at the age of 18 to find his freedom. >> i never take my freedom for granted. i cherish every second of this beautiful life over here. >> as a kosovar albanian, he and his family not only feared for their livelihood. >> you open a business, they would come and break it down, put a tank through it. >> but for their lives as well. >> we got so scared. we knew they would come after us sooner or later. >> he likes to say he arrived in

this country poor but rich in heart and as he's about to become a citizen he's never felt richer. >> 22 beautiful years i've spent in this country and i move i've got many more. >> growing up in somalia this woman also knows about the hardship of war. >> that's why i want to be here. >> and now as she prepares to become an american she's already dedicating to helping the country she says helped her, working with the homeless in the bronx. >> it's a great country. >> are you deploying today? >> airman jorge contreres arrived from peru two weeks before nevin and only 14 at the time he knew one day he's serve to protect his nation. >> i want to thank this country everything it's given to me and my family. >> at the base he prepares the troops for dedeployment. jorge has been deployed twice

before in iraq and now he'll have the same rights that he's been fighting for. >> this is the life i chose. >> for all three their journeys have been different but each has led to today, to this one moment to say. >> i'm american. >> i'm american. >> i'm an american, and i am so proud. >> god bless america. >> we are americans. >> i'm an american! >> thank you, america. >> thank you very much. >> i am american. >> thank you, america. >> i'm american. >> we're american. >> i'm an american. >> i am an american today and forever more, yay. >> yes, i'm american citizen. >> and here we are joined by jorge, agram and fatoon and 27 other citizen candidates in the crowd. no nerves at the moment? >> it's a little cold.

>> noner snfs. >> no. >> it's been great. >> a long time coming? >> and for you, a little nervous? >> it's cold. >> can i tell you something? i'm nervous. i'm looking forward to it, and they will take the oath and become citizens >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's look at the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> we have an accident at philadelphia road between bradshaw and joppa farm road. pulaski highway and 95 are much better alternate spirit brought by an creston street, we have an accident. water main break repairs. here is a live look at traffic. delays at harford, outer loop

traffic from belair towards the towson region. baltimore national pike, those delays stretch back to security to its edmondson. over to you, john. >> 40 degrees at b.w.i. marshall. not terribly missed out there. -- moist out there. the clouds have been trying to produce sprinkles or showers, but west of the bay we have been dry. the radar is spinning out a couple little speckles on the eastern shore. sunshine in virginia, and the costs are reaching out to the potomac. -- clouds are reaching out to the potomac. we have some sunshine and the picture. it takes the temperatures and below-to-mid-fifties.

50s for highs, 30's for loans. at the moment, there is no rain in the forecast. >> another update at 8:55. so, if the mint makes this hot chocolate cool, does the mint hot chocolate make me cool? not really. mint hot chocolate from dunkin' donuts. grab the cool sensation of mint today. america runs on dunkin'.

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♪ o say, can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ of the brave? ♪

♪ o'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ and the home of the brave? ♪ that was lee greenwood singing "the star spangled banner" to wick off what we think will be a very emotional and touching half hour as we welcome 30 new u.s. citizens to our plaza and to this country, and it is cold out here, but i think a lot of hearts were warmed when we heard our national anthem in this moment. >> for those of us who were born in this country oftentimes, and this is not something that we're proud of, we take our rights and freedoms for granted. the people who are gathered here today and their supportive families do not take them for granted and certainly won't a little later this morning. >> a lot of people criticize this country, but the fact is a lot more want to be part of it, want to become citizens of this country, and it is a dream for so very many, and that's -- those dreams are about to be

realized for this group of folks. >> it's amazing. it's amazing to witness this, and i think all of us will get teary-eyed in a moment. before we get to the ceremony, the citizenship oath offered by homeland security head janet napt know but first the weather. >> a little chilly in the east and a lot of wet weather in the pacific northwest and heavy rain and well and sunshine in the gulf and on sunday, sunday, sunday, continued chilly in the northeast and the gulf coast is looking pretty >> a few clouds this morning. clearing skies to the southwest. declaring his friend be a trend. mitty a few sprinkles on

>> and that's your latest weather. >> when we come back, these 30 people will become american citizens in a very moving ceremony, but, first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back now. 8:30 on a friday morning. very important morning here on "today" because the 30 people who are gathered here on this stage are about to share an important moment with us, the moment when they become american citizens. >> so without fort ado we want to turn it over to the u.s. director of u.s. citizenship and

immigration services and he'll be followed by our director of homeland security janetno who will administer the citizenship oath. i'll turn it over to you. >> thank you, matt, thank you, savannah. it's an honor to be here this morning. today marks a very special day in the lives of those seated in front of me, but it also marks a special day for the united states. through their many contributions each new citizen that we welcome enriches who we are as a nation. candidates for naturalization, please stand when i call your country of nationality and remain standing for the administration of the oath. argentina, brazil, burkina-faso, canada, china, colombia, dominican republic, ecuador, france, india, ireland, israel,

ivory coast, kosovo, panama, peru, philippines, serbia, somalia, sweden, switzerland, thailand, togo. it is now my honor to introduce our nation's third secretary of homeland security, janet napolitano. secretary napolitano, i present to you 30 candidates who have applied to become citizens of the united states. each of the candidates has been interviewed by an officer of the u.s. citizenship and immigration services and unless exempted by the law has demonstrated the ability to read, write and speak words in the english language. each has demonstrated his or her knowledge and understanding of the history and the principles

and form of government of the united states. secretary napolitano, i recommend that these candidates be administered the oath of allegiance, thereby admitting them to the united states citizenship. >> thank you, thank you, al. thank you and thank you to our hosts and producers and staff of the "today" show. this morning's ceremony allows us to highlight the importance of citizenship, its privileges and its responsibilities. so it's my honor to administer the oath of citizenship to you. it's a long oath. it goes back hundreds of years in our nation's history, but please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i hereby declare -- >> i hereby declare. >> on oath. >> on oath. >> that i absolutely and entirely. >> that i absolutely and entirely. >> renounce and be a dewer.

>> renounce and obdure. >> all aliege answer and fidelity. >> to any foreign prints, potentate, state or sovereignty of whom or which. >> of whom or which. >> i have heretofore been. >> i have heretofore been. >> a subject or citizen. that i will support and defend. >> that i will support and defense. >> the constitution and laws of the united states of america. >> the constitution and laws of the united states of america. >> against all enemies. >> against all enemies. >> foreign and domestic. >> foreign and domestic. >> that i will bear true faith. >> that i will bear true faith. >> and allegiance to the same. >> and allegiance to the same. >> that i will bear arms. >> that i will bear arms. >> on behalf of the united states. >> on behalf of the united

states. >> when required by the law. >> when required by the law. >> that i will perform non-combatant services. >> that i will perform non-combatant serieses. >> in the armed forces of the united states. >> in the armed forces of the united states. >> when required by the law. >> when required by the law. >> that i will perform. >> that i will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law. i take this obligation freely. >> i take this obligation freely. >> without any mental reservation. >> without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help me god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, new citizens. >> please be seated.

i am honored to be the first to call you my fellow americans. you have worked long and hard for this. with a single solemn oath you are now u.s. citizens with all of the privileges and responsibilities with come with being the citizen of a great nation. this great nation, the united states. i urge you to consider the great privilege, the new rights bestowed and the importance of your new responsibilities. today's ceremony marks the end of your journey towards citizenship, just as it marks the start of your new life as american citizens. you are so deserving of congratulations. let's give it up. you know, each day we welcome more than 3,400 new citizens to

the united states, 30 of whom are members of the u.s. armed services at ceremonies like this across the country. during these events we often play the song god bless america. it's now my distinct honor to ask recording artist lee greenwood to join us once again to sing god bless the usa. >> thank you, this is my privilege to do this as well. i wrote this song 30 years ago because i believe this country is worth fighting for and supporting and for all of us as americans i embody this song. and if you know the words, please sing along with me, okay.

♪ ♪ if tomorrow all the things were gone and burnt from my life ♪ ♪ and i had to start again ♪ i'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today ♪ ♪ because the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away ♪ ♪ they can't take that away ♪ and i'm proud to be an american where at least i know i'm free ♪ ♪ and i won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me ♪ ♪ and i gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today ♪ ♪ but there ain't no doubt that i love this land ♪

♪ god bless the usa ♪ from the lakes of minnesota to the hills of tennessee ♪ ♪ across the plains of texas, from sea to shining sea ♪ ♪ detroit down to houston and new york to l.a. ♪ ♪ for the pride in every american heart and it's time we stand and say ♪ ♪ that i'm proud to be an american where at least i know i'm free ♪ ♪ and i won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me ♪

♪ and i gladly stand up next to you and defend her till today ♪ ♪ because there ain't no doubt i love this land ♪ ♪ god bless the usa ♪ and i'm proud an american where at least i know i'm free ♪ ♪ and i won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me ♪ ♪ and i gladly stand up next to you and defend her till today ♪ ♪ because there ain't doubt i love this land ♪ ♪ god bless the usa

>> lee greenwood, thank you, and congratulations to proud new 30 fellow americans. we're back with much more on this very special morning on rockefeller plaza, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ and i'm proud to be an american where at least i know i'm free ♪ >> well, as we welcome 30 new u.s. sit sense, one of the first things they get to do it, of course, take the pledge of allegiance. >> jorge contreres, will you do me a favor and step forward, and why don't you lead your fellow americans in the pledge, if you will. >> my pleasure. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag and to the united states of

america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> very well done. >> so you told us weren't nervous? >> not anymore. >> but i watched your face during that, and it seemed like something came over you a little bit during the middle of that ceremony. >> just being here with everybody and my family, you know, it's such an honor. i'm so thankful for this. >> some of your friends down in the front row there as well came to witness this. >> yes. >> which must have been special for you. >> oh, yes, it is. the camaraderie, you know. we're a team. >> and when you're taking that oath, are you thinking about how hard it was to get here and the road that you traveled? >> all the way, yes. it was. >> agram and fatoom, why don't

you come forward as well. did it feel like you thought when it was happening? >> i feel like i'm born again. it's an amazing day for me and my family, and to share this with everybody else. it's great. >> very emotional. i just couldn't believe it. i'm so excited. so happy >> i think i might have seen a little tear in your eye. >> i was very emotional. nice to be an american. thank god. >> we're so happy for all of you. we'll talk a bit more with you when we come back. >> you'll get the certificate. one of the most important pieces of paper you'll have. >> make it official. >> cool. >> but first, this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back to rockefeller plaza. it's a really special day here. we have just had the privilege of witnessing something remarkable but that happens all the time in this country, and a lot of us probably take it for granted. 30 individuals this morning shared a once in a lifetime moment with us. they became u.s. citizens. >> they are being handed their certificates of citizenship right now by secretary napolitano, and we, of course, wish them well as they now set out on their lives here in this country. >> i don't know about you, guys, but i got a little bit teary-eyed, and when you look at the faces of these folks, and, you know, they are thinking about the journey they took to get here, it's really special.

>> that's what makes this country great. >> decades long for a lot of them to become u.s. citizens so it's really remarkable. >> and as we watch them get that all important piece of paper, that will be proudly be displaying in the days and weeks to come, we congratulate them and wish them the very best. and we'll be back after your local news. >> it is impossible to overstate how shocked those who know david petraeus are. >> yet more trouble for the military this morning. >> now john john allen is involved. >> thousands of residents in the northeast still reeling two weeks after superstorm sandy. >> the one and only mr. willie geist, welcome. >> happy willie geist, day. >> you're in, baby. >> there's no turning back. >> a photo that's touching people all around the world, 3-month-old joey. mom, tell me what you think the expression is right now. >> i think he has to go to the bathroom. >> whitney cummings, good

morning to you. >> hi, good morning. >> robert de niro, good morning, welcome back. >> bradley cooper. >> bradley cooper is there. >> erica levin. >> can you even -- >> can i just say how good it is to see you, lauren. >> thank you, savannah. >> they will take the oath. >> the symbol of the holidays, the rockefeller christmas tree is on the way. >> kick one, everybody, here we go. >> this line goes all the way down the block. >> what time did you get here? >> 7:00 a.m. friday. >> you took showers last night. thank you for that. everybody in the line thanks you for that. >> i want to say that i'm m-m-m-matt lauer. >> could i look any dorkier. >> sexiest fans in rock 'n' roll. >> happy to be back. >> i love you, too! >> this is without a doubt the largest crowd we have ever had for a concert. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, new citizens.

♪ so crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the sun ♪ ♪ i know we always pretend it's love ♪ ♪ and never, ever ever stop for anyone ♪ >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here's a look at one of our top stories. the chief medical examiner confirmed westowne on wednesda -- confirmed that the suspected body parts found in reisterstown on wednesday is a human hand.

they are trying to figure out who it may

>> clouds this morning, and a few sprinkles and brief showers east of the bay. the main headline this decrease in clouds with showers going away. 51 to 56 for the high. north to northwest was at five to 10 miles an hour.

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